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$275,000 Awarded at AI Hackathon to Drive Human Flourishing and Organizational Thriving

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Tech Innovators and Industry Leaders Collaborate on AI Solutions for Human Flourishing and Organizational Thriving

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Gloo, the leading technology platform dedicated to connecting the faith ecosystem and releasing its collective might, successfully concluded its second annual AI & the Church Hackathon this past weekend in Boulder, Colorado. The event, designed to accelerate AI-driven solutions that promote human flourishing and organizational thriving for the “big C” Church, awarded the top-performing teams over $275,000 in cash prizes.

The Hackathon drew over 200 people from around the world, who spent the weekend building AI-based technologies to help tackle challenges in the faith community. A panel of judges reviewed submissions, including Gloo CEO Scott Beck, YouVersion CTO James Chung, CEO of France-based HelloBible, Eric Célérier, Scott Mosley, VP of Software for Right Now Media and Yvonne Carlson, CTO of Global Media Outreach.

“The AI & The Church Hackathon highlights the incredible potential of AI by transforming how organizations and communities thrive,” said Steele Billings, managing partner for Gloo Ventures & Gloo AI. “While many in the faith community may hesitate when it comes to adopting emerging technologies, this weekend showcased a bold vision for how AI can be harnessed to create meaningful change. The solutions developed here demonstrate that AI isn’t something to fear — it’s an opportunity to build tools that align with our values and positively impact the world.”

New AI Tools Announced

During the event, Gloo announced a new suite of AI tools starting with AI Data Engine for faith-based publishers and churches along with two new AI platforms currently in beta — Aspen AI and the Christian Aligned Large Language Model (CALLM). The tools are designed as invaluable resources for Christians and church leaders, offering tailored AI solutions to support ministry work and organizational needs.

Prizes ranging from $5,000$100,000 were awarded to projects including:

The Best Overall, Grand Prize Winner: Pastors.AI – Joe Suh, Tyler Weaver, Saeed Hassan, and Akbar Ali created a tool that harnesses AI to quickly translate and lip-sync video-based sermons into multiple languages, allowing churches to reach more people and offer services to additional communities.Best Tech: Servant – Ben Elmore, Nathanael Coffing, Patrick Taylor, Hyzer Taylor, Ian Ludwig, Jake Oswald, Ethan Woo, Joe Nicolette, Patrick Creehan, and Brad Linard from Servant, created InSight, an AI-powered data platform that creates hyper-rich felt-need profiles, helping champions shepherd their community with precision and care.Best Design: LifeGroup.AI – Ryan Laughlin, Eric Laughlin, Keaton Helm, and Noah Liska created a tool to defeat isolation and help users thrive socially; LifeGroup.ai helps you connect with people around you through friendship matching and personalized AI connection coaching for Biblical growth.Best Concept: Generosity – College students Ernesto Rivera and Yanni Kouloumbis created Generosity, a tool to help churches increase donations through initiative visibility, transparency, and donor alignment, using AI to provide insights into congregational needs.Best Storytelling: Team Waha – Josh Muller, Trent Cowden, and Jeff Peterson created TimeStampAudio.com, which generates timing data from any text and its corresponding audio in over 1,100 languages using AI.Challenge Category, First Place: SermonShots – Corey Alderon, Richard Abear, and Marvin Bentinganan created an AI tool for live translation of sermons, providing a simultaneous translation capability for audience members who prefer a different language from the live speaker.Challenge Category, Second Place – The Apologist Project. Jake Carlson, Christine Abernathy, Dylan Starnes, Joshua (Ramakrishna) Dhulipalla, Kari Murphy, Troy Michels, Sara Carlile, Dayna-Marie Pemberton, Garrett Grimmett, and Christopher Russo created a conversational AI that ministers to the Muslim community, in partnership with prominent Muslim-serving ministries and major Christian apologists that specialize in that area.Challenge Category, Third Place – AO Labs. Craig Bradley, Holly Bradley, Sujan Barman, Gabriel Souki, and Mazen Emad created The Church Bible, which is “A City-Wide Bible For Community Connection.”Challenge Category, Fourth Place: Atrium AI – Todd “TJ” Person and Ryan Fontenot created Atrium, an AI-powered platform that automates security and attendance tracking as well as enhancing church security with real-time insights, facial recognition, and proactive alerts for a safer, more engaged community.Challenge Category, Fifth Place: Biblica – Mike Brinker, Robertson Brinker, and Sean Boisen created ScriptureRecall, an app that helps users memorize scripture using AI.Challenge Category, Sixth Place: ACS Technologies – Chris Kehayias, Patrick Abernathy, Jason Wenell, and Trace Jackson created a web-based app designed to provide people who work with kids an easy-to-use tool for generating copyright-free, thematically relevant children’s coloring pages.Hacker’s Choice – Additional prizes were awarded to projects ranging from scripture apps for college student, using AI to aid in suicide prevention to an app designed to rehabilitate sexual addiction.Most Servant-Hearted Attendees – Allen Prell and Joshua PriceBest Shoes – Kari Murphy, Clear Creek Community Church

“This weekend has cast a vision for the future. We believe that God is not surprised by AI, and He wants to use it for His purposes,” said Scott Beck, CEO and co-founder of Gloo. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the creative solutions and community shared across all of the teams this year. Gloo is at its best when we connect the faith community and help release its collective might.”

Leaders from both the tech and faith communities also gathered as part of a working group to explore responsible AI use and to discuss current challenges facing faith leaders. Participants included Yvonne Carlson, CTO of Global Media Outreach, VP of Software and Experience at RightNow Media Scott Mosley; and Nicole Martin, CIO of Christianity Today, among others.

Gloo is the trusted platform that releases the collective might of the faith ecosystem. As a leading technology innovator, Gloo is a tech platform that connects ministry leaders to resources, people, data insights and funding so their people and communities flourish and their organizations thrive. Gloo is based in Boulder, Colorado.

 

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SOURCE Gloo

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Barrel Energy Inc. Announces Full SEC Reporting Status, Strengthening Marketability and Positioning Company for Expansion in Renewable and Nutritional Energy Markets

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Barrel Energy Inc. (OTC: BRLL) A fully reporting company. Accelerates Growth Across Energy, Hospitality, and Sustainable Ventures, Driving Scalable Opportunities Worldwide.

LAS VEGAS, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Barrel Energy Inc. (OTC: BRLL), an emerging diversified energy company focused on renewable energy and nutritional energy initiatives, today announced that the Company is now a fully reporting company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), marking a major turning point in the Company’s long term growth strategy and public market development.

Barrel Energy Inc. Announces Full SEC Reporting Status, Strengthening Marketability and positioning for Expansion.

“Our transition to becoming a fully reporting SEC company represents a significant milestone for Barrel Energy and an important step toward increasing the overall marketability and visibility of our stock,” said Jarmin Kaltsas. “We believe today’s market increasingly rewards transparency and compliance, and becoming fully reporting positions us to engage a wider audience of investors, strategic partners, and acquisition opportunities as we continue executing our long term growth strategy under the BRLL trading symbol.”

Management further stated that the Company plans to aggressively pursue growth initiatives intended to expand revenues, strengthen market presence, and enhance shareholder value through strategic business combinations, operational expansion, and scalable energy focused ventures.

About Barrel Energy Inc.

Barrel Energy Inc. (OTC: BRLL) is a diversified energy company focused on opportunities in renewable energy, and nutritional energy initiatives. The Company seeks to leverage strategic acquisitions, public market growth, and innovative energy solutions to create long term shareholder value.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future development activities and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to control. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s business and finances in general, including the ability to continue and manage its growth, competition, global economic conditions and other factors discussed in detail in the Company’s periodic filings with the Security and Exchange Commission.

Barrel Energy – 3859 S. Valley View Blvd, STE 2 #107, Las Vegas, NV, 89103 Tel- 888- 397-9114 Email- info@BRLLenergy.com Social Media-@BRLLenergy all platforms.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barrel-energy-inc-announces-full-sec-reporting-status-strengthening-marketability-and-positioning-company-for-expansion-in-renewable-and-nutritional-energy-markets-302768505.html

SOURCE Barrel Energy, Inc.

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Legacy Launches $1M Study Advancing At-Home Semen Collection for Assisted Reproduction Technology

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NEW YORK, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Legacy, the leading male fertility clinic and at-home sperm testing and cryopreservation platform, today announced the Sperm Study, a clinical research initiative backed by an R&D investment of over $1 million and designed to evaluate and optimize the use of at-home semen collection for assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including IVF and IUI.

Prospectively enrolling up to 250 participants across two phases, this study represents one of the most comprehensive investigations to date into how specimen shipment, handling, and cryopreservation impact sperm quality and is expected to set a new benchmark for scientific rigor in the rapidly growing field of at-home fertility testing. This study is being conducted in collaboration with IVF Academy USA.

Raising the bar for clinical evidence in at-home fertility care

To date, validation work in at-home semen collection has been limited in important ways. Studies have largely enrolled normozoospermic men only, relied on courier-transported rather than real-world-shipped specimens, and focused on short-term motility and concentration as primary endpoints.

Critical questions remain unanswered, particularly around how samples with varying quality perform under genuine end-to-end shipping conditions, and how those samples hold up in the contexts that matter most clinically: IVF and IUI. The Sperm Study is designed to close those gaps.

This multi-phase study will evaluate key sperm quality parameters including motility, DNA fragmentation, and post-thaw viability, while also validating the use of computer-aided semen analysis (CASA) as an alternative to basic manual semen analysis in the setting of mail-in semen analysis.

“With the increased utilization of at-home semen testing and cryopreservation, there is a critical need to ensure these specimens will perform adequately when used for assisted reproduction,” said Legacy’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Scott Lundy. “This study is designed to rigorously evaluate how at-home collection and transport impact sperm quality across a broad patient population and to translate those findings into improved protocols and optimized outcomes for both patients and providers.”

Sperm study design and scientific approach

The Sperm Study is a prospectively accruing cross-sectional study in which paired semen samples are analyzed across multiple timepoints and during the shipment process. Importantly, this study enrolls participants across a range of semen quality profiles — not solely normozoospermic men — and evaluates samples under genuine shipping conditions experienced by real specimens.

Key study components include direct comparison of CASA vs. manual analysis at baseline, evaluation of motility decline over time and in relation to shipment conditions, measurement of DNA fragmentation pre- and post-shipment and cryopreservation, assessment of post-thaw sperm viability and yield, and the development of predictive algorithms for IVF/IUI sample sufficiency.

The study will also examine how factors such as transit time, concentration, and storage conditions impact outcomes, with the goal of generating generalizable insights for clinical practice.

Multi-phase rollout

Phase 1 includes 100 participants and approximately 1,500 total assays, with expected completion in 2026. Phase 2, planned for later in 2026 and into 2027, will expand the study with additional participants, bringing the total to up to 250 to enable broader validation across a more diverse patient population.

Impact on clinical practice

Findings from the Sperm Study are expected to directly inform and improve specimen collection protocols for at-home use, shipping and handling standards for semen samples, cryopreservation practices, and clinical decision-making for IVF and IUI readiness.

By generating high-quality, controlled data across a clinically representative patient population, Legacy aims to provide fertility clinics, researchers, and patients with greater confidence in the use of mail-in semen testing and cryopreservation as part of standard reproductive care.

About Legacy

Legacy is the leading male fertility clinic in the United States, offering at-home semen analysis, sperm cryopreservation, and post-vasectomy testing. With a CLIA-certified, high-complexity andrology lab and one of the largest proprietary datasets in male reproductive health, Legacy is advancing access, data, and innovation in fertility care.

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SOURCE Give Legacy, Inc.

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Elks Award Nearly $5 Million in College Scholarships

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CHICAGO, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Elks National Foundation welcomed 900 students to the Elks family, awarding more than $4.9 million in scholarships to high school seniors. An Elks scholarship is more than financial aid; it’s an invitation to a network of service-minded peers and a promise that an Elks Lodge is always there with open arms.

Out of more than 23,000 applicants for the Most Valuable Student scholarship, the Top 20 scholars received $30,000 scholarships and an invitation to Chicago for the Leadership Weekend.

From April 30-May 3, the Leadership Weekend allowed scholars to get acquainted with their new Elks family through programming facilitated by current and former Elks scholars, team-building activities, and a service opportunity.

“Leadership Weekend is one of my greatest memories,” says Emily Cai, sponsored by Toccoa, Ga., Lodge No. 1820. “I had the privilege of meeting inspirational and disciplined individuals who motivated me to become the best version of myself. I am excited to see my future with the Elks family!”

A total of 480 runners-up received $4,000 Most Valuable Student scholarships.

Service is a tenet of the Elks, which is why it’s a requirement for recipients of the $6,000 Legacy Awards scholarship, which is exclusively for the children or grandchildren of Elks members. The new class of 400 scholars will serve with an Elks Lodge three times during the four years they receive the scholarship.

“This award means a great deal to me and my family,” says Kelly Butler, sponsored by Haverstraw, N.Y., Lodge No. 877. “Knowing that the Elks have invested in my future motivates me to continue working hard and striving toward my goals.”

To see a full list of the scholarship winners and to learn more about the Elks National Foundation’s scholarships, visit elks.org/scholars, follow the ENF on Instagram @ElksScholars, and like the ENF on Facebook @ElksNationalFoundation.

Contact: Elks National Foundation
Abbey Knupp | Manager, Communications
2750 N. Lakeview Ave. | Chicago, IL 60614-2256
773/755-4864 | AbbeyK@elks.org 

Helping Elks Build Stronger Communities

The Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, helps nearly 800,000 Elks and nearly 1,800 Lodges nationwide build stronger communities through programs that support youth, serve veterans, and meet needs in areas where Elks live and work. To learn more, visit elks.org/enf.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elks-award-nearly-5-million-in-college-scholarships-302768507.html

SOURCE ELKS NATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC.

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